Orange Insider-Syracuse at Penn State: SU football has big problems with Big Ten

Carolyn Kaster / The Associated PressPenn State coach Joe Paterno (second from right) talks to his team during a timeout in the first half against Akron on Sept. 5 in State College, Pa. Penn State won 31-7.

It was only a joke, but it had the ring of truth. The media contact for the Minnesota football team, seeing Syracuse University's early football schedule, wanted to know if the Big Ten should include the Orange in its weekly standings, as least for September.

Minnesota. Penn State. Northwestern. All part of a Big Ten parade SU has marched in pretty regularly since 2004, or three head coaches ago. With one exception, it has been an unhappy journey.

Paul Pasqualoni took his team to Purdue in 2004 and opened his final season with a 51-0 debacle on national television. Greg Robinson had two cracks at Illinois, two at Iowa and, one at Northwestern and one at Penn State during his four-year tenure and won only one of them, a 31-21 victory at Illinois in 2006.

When Doug Marrone debuted with a 23-20 overtime loss to Minnesota last week the Orange fell to 1-8 against the Big Ten in that stretch, with Saturday's noon game vs. four-touchdown favorite Penn State up next. It is a far cry from the glory days of 1998, when Donovan McNabb led the Orange to a stunning 38-28 victory over Michigan in front of 111,011 mostly Big Blue fans in the Big House.

Yet, one college football expert believes SU is on the way back under Marrone.

"I don't think there's any question about that. They've got the right combination up there now."

The author of that quote? None other than Joe Paterno, who will be on the sideline opposite Marrone on Saturday. The legendary Nittany Lions coach watched his team dismantle the Orange 55-13 last season in the Carrier Dome and could hardly believe his eyes.

"I can't tell you why that program deteriorated," he said in an interview published on the school's web site, "because I think we all remember that Syracuse had one of the great programs, not only in the East, but in the country. Some of the best games we've ever been involved in at Penn State since I've been here were Syracuse-Penn State games. So, it's hard for me to figure out what happened."

There is no question Marrone's team hit harder, tackled better, overcame early adversity and battled a more experienced Minnesota team to the very end in the opener. That noted, it still only gained 257 yards of offense and was shut out in the second half and overtime. That was at home, with 48,617 mostly Orange fans urging it on.

Now, it must travel to Happy Valley and face a team that is probably a significant notch above the Gophers even after losing six stars from last season's team to the NFL draft and a bunch of other starters to graduation. The reloaded Lions crushed Akron 31-7 a week ago, with senior quarterback Daryll Clark passing for 353 yards despite losing his top three receivers from 2008. SU, to quote former Coach P, is in the deep end of the pool.

Here are five things his team must do Saturday to tread water into the fourth quarter, when anything can happen:

Misdirection, please

The Orange seemed to have trouble with its power running game between the tackles in the opener, evidence that its offensive line is still not up to snuff. It had more success when it tried misdirection against the Gophers' stout front seven. It must utilize deception again Saturday against a Lion defense that allowed Akron only 28 yards rushing in the opener. Once it made the Zips' offense one-dimensional, it clobbered the spread. SU must not get into the same predicament. It must be able to move the ball on the ground effectively to have a chance. Misdirection appears to be its best shot.

Expand the Stallion

Doug Marrone gained a reputation as an offensive innovator and mastermind during his days as a college and NFL assistant. It is hard to believe he and offensive coordinator Rob Spence installed the "Stallion" formation with only three basic plays off it. If Penn State recognizes it and puts a safety up in the box to counter it, SU must be able to make the Lions pay with counters of its own, be it a passing sequence out of the formation or so other wrinkle.

Convert on third down

Marrone said he cannot recall ever coaching an offense that went 1-for-12 on third-down conversions, but that's what his Orange did in the opener. There were plenty of reasons for the ineptitude, among them dropped passes, hurried passes and penalties. The Orange must clean up its act on third down Saturday and at least approach the 50 percent mark to have a shot. It simply must be able to extend drives and give its defense some help.

Be special here

Penn State went 1-for-3 on field-goal tries in the opener. Its best punt returner is starting tailback Evan Royster. Overall, it was mediocre on special teams. SU must take advantage in this critical phase of the game to have a chance, as it appears to have an edge here. It must avoid any mistakes of its own on special teams while forcing the Lions into a mistake or two to have a chance. It needs another big return from Mike Jones, a punt or field-goal block . . . something to help even the playing field against a team that is simply more talented.

Hang in there

The Orange got a big break last season when it forced a Penn State turnover at midfield in the opening minutes. It promptly fumbled the ball right back and yielded a 55-yard touchdown pass, and the game was over by the end of the first quarter. This appears to be a different team. Physically, the Orange was able to go toe-to-toe with a veteran Minnesota team to the very end. It must do the same Saturday in Happy Valley while refusing to give up the big play on defense and allowing the Lions to gain separation. It must find a way to hang in there going into the final quarter, making the huge crowd restless and the home team nervous. If it is close in the fourth, anything can happen.